Kothimbir Vadi
User Reviews
4.9
Kothimbir Vadi
Description
This recipe blends freshly roasted, skinned, and coarsely ground peanuts with a ground paste of ginger, garlic, and green chili, combined with finely chopped coriander leaves and chickpea flour (besan). A mix of turmeric, red chili powder, coriander and cumin powders, and optional asafoetida contribute aromatic and earthy spice notes. The batter is steamed until set and then sliced into pieces for pan-frying in neutral oil until crisp on all sides.
The steaming process ensures a firm yet tender interior, while frying imparts a golden brown crust that contrasts the soft center. The peanuts add crunch and nutty undertones, complementing the fresh coriander’s vibrant flavor. The spices create a balanced, mildly spicy profile characteristic of this traditional snack.
Kothimbir Vadi can be enjoyed warm as a teatime snack or appetizer. Its crispness and savory flavors make it suitable for pairing with green chutney or tamarind sauce. Because of the ingredients used, it offers a gluten-free option if asafoetida is omitted or replaced with a gluten-free version.
Adjust chili quantity for desired spiciness. For softer texture, a small pinch of baking soda can be added to the batter. Use tender coriander leaves including the stems if they are soft. The recipe is scalable for different batch sizes.
Ingredients
For roasting peanuts
- ¼ cup peanuts
For ground paste
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 2 green chilies or 2 teaspoons green chilies
- 1 to 2 tablespoon water for grinding
Other ingredients
- 2 cups Coriander leaves - finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (ground cumin)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) - optional
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- 1 cup besan (gram flour or chickpea flour)
- ½ teaspoon sugar - optional
- salt as required
- ½ cup water for batter
For steaming
- 1 to 1.5 cups water
For frying
- 3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
Instructions
Preparation
- Heat a tawa or pan and keep the flame to a low or medium. Add ¼ cup peanuts.
- Stir at intervals and roast till the peanuts become crunchy. The peanuts skin will also have some brown-black spots on them. Remove them in a plate and let them cool.
- Rub the peanuts in your palms. This will remove the flaky skin. Now add the peanuts in a small grinder jar.
- Grind to a coarse powder. Remove and keep aside.
- In the same small grinder, add 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon garlic and 2 green chilies (or 2 teaspoons green chilies).
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoon water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside. Alternatively you can even crush the garlic, ginger and green chilies in a mortar-pestle.
- Rinse coriander leaves very well. Drain the extra water and finely chop them. You will need 2 cups of finely chopped coriander leaves.
Making batter
- Take the coriander leaves in a mixing bowl.
- Add the ginger+garlic+green chilli paste.
- Now add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder and 1 pinch of hing (optional).
- Next add the coarsely ground peanut powder and 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds.
- Add 1 cup besan (gram flour).
- Now add ½ teaspoon sugar (optional) and salt as required.
- Mix everything very well.
- Now add ½ cup water in parts and begin to mix the batter.
- Mix well to a thick batter. Add water as required and in parts.
Steaming
- Grease a pan with some oil.
- Now add the batter in the pan.
- Bring to boil 1 to 1.5 cups water in another pan.
- Lower the flame and holding the pan (in which batter is there) with tongs keep it inside the pan with water.
- Cover with a lid and steam on a low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the batter firms up nicely and cooks well.
- Once done, check with a tooth pick and it should come out clean. When the kothimbir mixture is cooled, then gently remove the entire layer on a plate. With a butter knife loosen the edges and invert the pan on a plate. Tap the pan and unmold the layer.
- Now cut in square or diamond shaped slices.
Pan frying kothimbir vadi
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a tawa or pan. Place the steamed kothimbir vadi and pan fry on medium flame.
- When the base is golden, flip and fry the other side.
- Flip a couple of times more and fry till the sides are crisp and golden. You can even deep fry them if you want.
- Place the pan fried kothimbir vadi on kitchen paper towels for extra oil to be absorbed. Fry the remaining kothmir vadi in the same way.
- Serve hot or warm with any chutney or sauce of your choice.
Notes
- Add more green chilies to increase spiciness according to preference.
- Including a pinch of baking soda in the batter helps achieve a softer texture.
- Use fresh, tender coriander leaves and stems for best flavor and texture.
- Skip or use gluten-free asafoetida for a gluten-free version.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 3Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 346 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 346kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 24g | 8% |
| Protein | 10g | 20% |
| Fat | 23g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Sodium | 910mg | 38% |
| Potassium | 407mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 785IU | 16% |
| Vitamin C | 6.8mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 53mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2.6mg | 14% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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